Coming back, Paladin or shadowknight?

[Clailmebe]

<DIV> <DIV>Hello everyone, ive decided to come back to the game not long ago, and at first i tried a guardian but it just got boring.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So anyways ive come down to either picking a paladin or shadow knight, but i cant make up my mind which id rather play. Id like to know from people who have tried both classes out which class tends to be funner, and more valuable in grouping/raids. Id like to be able to tank alright in a group <raids id rather just support the mt or dps> and id also want to be able to solo fairly well if i cant get a group. Ive played a pally up to 16, but while grouped and not the mt i feel kinda uselss, sure my buffs give a nice proc once in awhile, but overall i feel like my dps is rather low and i never get the chance to use my heals/wards because we often have a healer to cover that. the only time i feel im good in a group is up against undead. I think i solo farely well though, gets kind of boring after awhile except when questing but thats probably with all classes. I keep thinking to myself a shadowknight would be better than a paladin with lifetaps to keep health up without spending a whole bubble of mana, that and they can summon a pet. So can anyone give me the ups and downs on both of these two classes and how they compare overall in groups/solo/and raids. Any info would be great</DIV></DIV>

[Mmaster]

Be a swashbuckler, a dev plays that class. But seriously, be a swashbuckler a dev plays that class. But really, be any class that is played by a dev. For an adequate response to your post, its up to your judgement which class you choose and what you would be more happy with, in the long run, this I've said a lot, there isnt a big difference. I raid tank, sometimes I'll dps, and others I'll assist MT while being OT. <div></div>

[Zabumt]

<DIV>From what I've gathered (and I've not played a Paladin but I've played with ALOT of paladins on my Templar) Paladins excel at keeping themselves healed.  At a cost to dps.  Shadowknights excel at plate tank dps but at a cost to keeping themselves healed.  So, if you're looking for really good high-dps solo plate-tank performance go with a Shadowknight.  If you're looking for more of a slower soloer that has more survivability go with a Paladin.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In the end-game, my guild uses a Paladin almost exclusively as MT.  Amends does that.  Of course, Shadowknights get some very nice hate increasers too.  But I've never been on a raid with an SK.  Let alone one MTing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In any case, I love playing my SK alt.  In a group or solo, he's alot of fun.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Beldin_]

I would also say it depends on if you wantt to be more a good MT in groups or if you like to solo alot, as MT i would prefer Pala because of amends .. since i personally like to solo a lot i'm happy with my Shadowknight <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Male]

<P>Well, I personally played both classes up to 40, switching back and forth every time I ran out of the exp modifier :smileyhappy:. I played a Paladin in EQlive up to 66 when Gates of Discord came out, then left when EQII released. I also had a SK alt in the game and got him to 57.</P> <P>I loved playing both, but as higher up in level I got the more fun I began to have with my Shadowknight. I just felt a little more proactive in fights. I could debuff strength, debuff armor class (mitigation), drain mana, life tap, DoT, and call a pet. The Paladin was more straight forward, I would basically just ward myself and do some spells/CA's, but it was not as strategic for me as my Shadowknight was. </P> <P>Now that being said, my kill to death ratio for my Paladin is 232 while my Shadowknight is around 97. Paladins have a few more fail saves than SK's (unless FD works or we can get off Shadowy Elusion). Paladins are just a bit harder to kill, but are also a lot slower at killing. I can tear through mobs with my Shadowknight that what take me longer to kill with my Paladin, unless they are undead, then it's pretty even.</P> <P>But in the end, it all just comes down to what you enjoy playing, and what playstyle suits you. Sometimes I think I'd like to go back to my Paladin and dust him off, but I'm just having too much fun with my Shadowknight :smileyhappy:</P>